Thread: Is it just me..

..or does Swap Meet seem more & more inundated with costumes lately? A couple of weeks ago there was an onslaught of Bellas for sale, which struck me as really odd. I know there's a lot of folks here & most tend to rotate their costumes regularly, but there just appears to be more up for sale than I've noticed in the past. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this too? Speculating the economy may have something to do with this.

yep, i agree. i have a box of stuff i'd like to sell, but the market is flooded. and i'm lazy ..l;,

i keep thinking that now would be the perfect time to stock up for when the economy turns around again. if i were in the business of buying and selling cossies, i'd be low-balling everyone!

Nope, it's not just you. The market seems to be very saturated with high-end costumes. Apart from the economy, I'd also add another factor to explain that: It feels a lot easier to purchase new high-end costumes these days, which is likely to result in more used costumes being offered for sale.

It's probably the economy too... I've been trying to sell everything that I don't use on a regular basis so that I can make a little extra cash for bills. This time last year I was buying and hording costumes and dance items like crazy!

Definitely the economy.

Personally, the recession has taught me one thing about costuming. That is, if you don't love it, sell it! I only have about 6-7 costumes in my lineup right now, which is a fraction of what I used to have, but they're all special costumes that mean something to me. I'll take that any day over a closet full of stuff that I never wear!

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Definitely the economy.

Personally, the recession has taught me one thing about costuming. That is, if you don't love it, sell it! I only have about 6-7 costumes in my lineup right now, which is a fraction of what I used to have, but they're all special costumes that mean something to me. I'll take that any day over a closet full of stuff that I never wear!

Same here! I usually only go for the same few anyway. Plus I have a couple dependable bedlah that I can mix and match for a different look, so I really didn't need all those costumes that I sold over the last few months.

yep, exactly-
I always go for the same 4 costumes anyway.. mine as well get some cash for the rest and *hopefully* buy a new sparkly to add to the 'faves that I actually DO wear' collection :)

In addition to the economy, I also see more and more dancers who come back from Egypt and sell extra costumes that they brought back. It makes it easier to get the newest designer costume for less then retail price.

Ditto on the dance closet, it's so much easier to choose what to wear if your costumes fit, flatter you and are comfortable to wear. Everything that doesn't has to go.

Originally Posted by ShirazRaqs

yep, exactly-
I always go for the same 4 costumes anyway.. mine as well get some cash for the rest and *hopefully* buy a new sparkly to add to the 'faves that I actually DO wear' collection :)

Hey, if you're doing mostly private gigs, or if you do restaurants sporadically, that's all you really need. You can always mix it up with different accessories and hair/makeup.

In my area, everybody does 2-3 sets with costume changes for restaurant gigs. I would probably need to build a costume silo on the side of my house if I danced in restaurants ..c::

It's funny, because I've actually caught myself bragging about how FEW costumes I have. It's a reflection on my high standards and persnickety good taste ..l;,

I second SatinWorship! The tough economy has me cleaning out my belly closet - I'm only going to keep the ones I absolutely love. (My husband is very opinionated about which ones I have to keep. =) I'm waiting to sell off some of my Bellas until the market is a little less saturated with them. I've also noticed that they don't sell as quickly as they used to. Again, tough economy, saturated market. It's tough being a bellydancer!

At one point a few weeks ago, my friend and I remarked that there were 4 or 5 turquoise Bellas for sale on Bhuz- and 3 of them were in Minnesota! (She and I were selling 2 of them.) Yep, lots of costumes for sale right now. I attribute it to the economy- I know more people without jobs, selling costumes to pay bills or health insurance. And many of us are getting fewer gigs, so need less. Since I sold my Bella, I have that money to spend and am stalking the swap meet, looking for the perfect way to spend it. But I know it will probably be the last costume that I buy this year, so I've gone from getting in line for anything that looks like it may fit and is pretty, to being unbearably picky. I know that if I buy something and it's not perfect, there's a LOT of competition on the Swap Meet right now, and I'm less willing to risk having to take a loss.

Hoping to post a Pharaonics red assuit beledi dress tomorrow -- and hoping it sells! ..c:: I've certainly done my share of buying recently...

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Hoping to post a Pharaonics red assuit beledi dress tomorrow -- and hoping it sells! ..c:: I've certainly done my share of buying recently...

There is a term for people like you - eeeeevillll temptress!!! ;-)

I've culled out the costumes that didn't fit or I didn't care for. I have one Bella in the Swap but I'm not desperate to sell it. I'm ok if it languishes a while, its still a great deal for a quality costume. But I'm not worried about if it takes a few months to move.

However when some of the Emans come through my heart skips several beats. I'm not buying anything right now to save up for some workshops and buying a laptop for school.

I posted my red Yasser on the Swap Meet Sunday morning, and within 3 hours is was pushed back all the way to the 2nd page! Yes, there seems to be a LOT of selling going on!